Fred J. Miller (January 3, 1857 – November 26, 1939) was an American

mechanical Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...

and industrial engineer, known for his seminal work in designing high-precision scientific instruments,Winfield Scott Downs, American Historical Company. ''Encyclopedia of American biography: New series.'' 1936. p. 422 and as president of the

American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...

in 1920–21.

Biography

Born in

Yellow Springs, Ohio Yellow Springs is a village in Greene County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,697 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is home to Antioch College. History The area of the village had long b ...

, in 1857, Miller was the eldest son of son of John Z. Miller and Elizabeth (Woodhurst) Miller. His father was a skilled general mechanic, who worked as contractor.ASME (1941, 9) After his public school education, Miller became a regular apprentice at a machine shop. Miller started his career as toolmaker at the firm of Benjamin H. Warder in Springfield, Ohio, and worked his way up to foreman. He started to invent tools and devices for the machine tool industry contribute to mechanical journals, of which some became used in leading manufacturers. Also he started to write articles, and in 1887 became full-time editor of the ''

American Machinist The ''American Machinist'' is an American trade magazine of the international machine industry, machinery industries and most especially their machining aspects. Published since 1877, it was a McGraw-Hill title for over a century before becoming a ...

'' machinery journal, editor-in-chief, and eventually vice-president of the publisher. After twenty years in the publishing business, he returned to industry as general manager of typewriter factory. After nine years he was appointed Major of Ordnance at the U.S. Army at the Rock Island Arsenal, the Arsenals in Washington, and rolled into the staff of the Secretary of War.ASME (1920, 1-2) Miller was president of the

in the year 1920–21, Fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

, and recipient of the Gantt Medal. He died in

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Biography of Fred J. Miller
" ''Transactions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers,'' Vol 43. 1921; p. x * ASME.
Fred J. Miller: A Biography of a Man who Hoped Never to Grow So Old that a New Idea Would Shock Him
'' 1941

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Fred J. 1857 births 1939 deaths Engineers from Ohio People from Yellow Springs, Ohio Henry Laurence Gantt Medal recipients